Mark Callaghan

Board of Trustees profile: Mark Callaghan

I was born and raised in Christchurch. I attended school in Australia for a few years and lived in England for about two and a half years during my OE – other than that, Christchurch has been home.

I have worked in banking in some form for about 31 years working for ANZ, HSBC and a couple of banks overseas. In my spare time I enjoy camping in our ‘70s Classic caravan, playing squash (which I am just getting back into), fishing and walking. I am also an Uber driver for my two girls, Molly and Lucy. They both attended Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo and are now at Christchurch South Karamata Intermediate School and Cashmere High School.

We have lived in Somerfield for about 15 years and the great schools were a draw at the time. I love how close we are to the CBD where I work, being able to easily explore the wonderful hills and the great cafes and local businesses.

As well as serving on the Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo Board of Trustees, I am also chair at Christchurch South Karamata Intermediate. I am also Manager for both girls’ netball teams.

If I had to name one thing that stands out for me about Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo, it would be the inclusiveness. As a board member for longer than I can remember, I can see the incredible efforts that are made by the senior leadership and staff to ensure that no child is left behind. The staff are awesome. I think we’re incredibly lucky to have such a high-quality teaching and support team.

I originally joined the board because they needed an extra parent representative. I popped along to a meeting to see what it was all about – something I would encourage anyone to do – and I was hooked! At the time I had two young girls and I wanted to give back to the community.

I was also interested in getting a better understanding of what happens behind-the-scenes in the school and the wider education sector. This is something I have really enjoyed over the years.

I am currently the board’s Treasurer. This means I work with the management and finance teams and our auditors to help prepare and monitor our budget. Our focus is to ensure it is realistic and achievable (so now would be a good time to raise the importance of making those school donations) and to ensure we track our spending across the year.

Having had 30-odd years in banking has helped me in this role, but in terms of the skill set required the key thing would be to understand a balance sheet and a budget. I would also say you need the ability to work well in a team, have good people skills and a passion for seeing all kids thrive in education.

Because both of my girls have left Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo, I won’t be standing at the next election. Now would be a great time for someone else with an interest – particularly in the Treasurer’s role – to ‘jump on board’ (pun not intended). I have really enjoyed my years volunteering and would recommend it as a rewarding and worthwhile experience.

If you are interested in joining the Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo Board of Trustees, we would love to see you at one of our public meetings. Please contact our Tumuaki Denise Torrey or Board Chair Stephanie Muller via the school office to find out more.